What to do with mochi…this version is white, hard and puck-like in shape?

Question

My mother-in-law gave us some mochi that she received as a gift. It's actually the size of a small hockey puck, white and pretty hard. (I've only encountered soft mochi in this shape and generally they had some sort of filling). The only other time that I've seen hard mochi is once when I bought frozen mochi from the store (sold as one solid rectangular block, about 1/2" high). With this frozen mochi, they suggested baking it. When baked, it browned on the outside and puffed up a little bit.

Has anyone ever seen the white mochi pucks that I've described? How do you eat it? I'm going to attempt to steam one and try to bake another to test. Is this the proper way to cook this type of mochi?

Answer

I'm Chinese and my mom's made something similar as well. I can't recall the name, but we've had it two ways:

Boiled in a soup, usually with a saltier broth, as the large 'mochi' block tends to be flavorless, it serves to balance what might otherwise be an overly salty dish.

Pan fried or deep fried, this method will make it puff up more like your link says. I've usually had it this way sweet. We only sprinkled on white sugar after frying, but now I realize there are several things you could do to add more complexity...sprinkle with sugar and brulee with a torch for extra texture, top with fruit and condensed milk, or serve it alongside ice cream instead of the traditional western pastry/pie.

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